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Donor Profile: PEMBA Lighting and Automation

PEMBA logo.

This week New Orleans Habitat ReStore is shining a thankful light on PEMBA Lighting, Electrical, & Automation, a new donor that recently sent a collection of high quality Murray Feiss lighting fixtures our way.

PEMBA, which is an acronym for Professional Engineering Masters of Better Automation, is a woman-owned business with a lighting showroom in Belle Chase. Owner Patricia Smith began
the business in 1997 and ran it out of her home office until 2006 when she moved the company into its current Belle Chase location. There, in addition to their showroom, PEMBA features a full electrical department that sells everything from wires to switches, a one-stop shop with a knowledgeable staff.

PEMBA often works with architects, designers, and individual home owners to create long-lived, low voltage lighting schemes. Sales and Accounting Specialist Kathy Claassen explains, “A lot of government regulations are changing in the interest of conservation, affecting the makeup and color temperature of different bulbs. We try to help our clients go green without ending up with lighting that’s green-colored.”

PEMBA is a diversified business: in addition to whole house lighting plans, they also specialize in commercial lighting and automation. They recently completed a lighting project for the Algiers Hike and Bike Path, setting up lamp posts to illuminate the path along the levee. Their staff, which includes a designer and engineer, also provides low voltage lighting training for electricians.

Donations like PEMBA’s help New Orleans Habitat ReStore make excellent products for home improvement available to the community. And donating, in turn, helps PEMBA uphold its principles as a green company. How did PEMBA choose to partner with Habitat ReStore? Claassen says, “We knew we were going to donate some of the older display and overstock items, so we looked for where those might be best utilized. The Habitat ReStore raises funds which go back into building houses with partner families—so we felt like that would work well. It helps us, and it helps the community.”

According to ReStore Director Wesley Griffin, “Right after Hurricane Katrina, our customers needed the basics: doors, windows, roofing and siding. Now that people are able to focus on renovating the interior of their homes, we’re thrilled to provide [beautiful] lighting fixtures, made possible by generous partners like PEMBA.”

To find quality items for a great price, come visit us at ReStore this week! We’re located at 2900 Elysian Fields Avenue, open from 10-6 Tuesday through Saturday.  Interested in donating? Swing by to drop your donation off, sign up for a pickup on our website, or call us at 504-943-2240.

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